Try recipes for these Thanksgiving sides, including Oyster Casserole

This year’s Thanksgiving, pandemic style, has helped me sharpen my math as I pare down traditional recipes for just the two of us.

Dividing a recipe for four in half is pretty easy, but many of my recipes box’s Thanksgiving foods have been devised to feed eight or 10, so that’s more of a challenge.

A favorite is my Oyster Casserole recipe, which I’ve cut down to serve four. That’s mainly because I don’t have a casserole small enough for just the two of us. Thanksgiving leftovers are traditional, and this is a great dish served the next day.

To find other side dishes for Thanksgiving, I delved into the past, searching in old issues of Gourmet magazine to find recipes to try. That magazine, which ended in 2009, fills three shelves in my home’s library, and the recipes I’m offering today are pared-down versions of those found in the November 1994 edition.

The recipes were devised to serve eight to 10, but I’ve cut them back to serve four.

Best of all, both the Balsamic Glazed Pearl Onions and the Orange Flavored Sweet Potatoes can be made in advance and refrigerated with just minimal work before they’re served. That’s a real break for Thanksgiving cooks.

 

Janet’s Oyster Casserole

(Serves 4)

Ingredients

1 pint oysters

1 cup each saltines and Ritz crackers

1 sticks butter

1 teaspoon pepper

3/4 cup half and half

1/4 cup oyster liqueur

1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1/2 teaspoon salt

 

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix together oysters, reserving one-fourth cup liqueur with crackers and butter.

Spread one-third of mixture into casserole.

Top with oysters and pepper.

Repeat steps again.

Combine half & half, liqueur, Worcestershire and salt.

Pour into the casserole.

Top with remaining crackers.

Bake 55 to 60 minutes.

Serve.

— Janet Podolak

 

Balsamic Glazed Pearl Onions

(Serves 4)

Ingredients

1-1/4 pounds (about four cups) assorted pearl onions

1 Tablespoon olive oil

1/2 cup balsamic vinegar

1/2 cup water

Instructions

Blanch one-third of the onions in a saucepan of boiling water for 3 minutes, then drain.

Blanch remaining onions in batches.

Cool and peel.

(To make it easy to peel, incise an X in the bottom of each onion before boiling.)

In a large, heavy skillet, heat onion over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking and saute onions about 5 minutes, until lightly browned.

Add vinegar and water and simmer, stirring occasionally, until onions are tender, about 15 minutes.

Transfer onions with a slotted spoon to a platter, reserving liquid.

(Prepare to this point up to two days ahead, refrigerating covered onions and liquid separately. Reheat in reserved liquid, adding a little water if necessary. Transfer to a platter with a slotted spoon.)

Simmer reserved liquid until thickened and syrupy and reduced.

Spoon sauce over onions and serve warm or at room temperature.

— Adapted from November 1994 Gourmet magazine

 

Orange Flavored Sweet Potatoes

(Serves 4)

Ingredients

4 large sweet potatoes (about 2-1/2 pounds)

2 Tablespoons firmly packed brown sugar

2 Tablespoons fresh orange juice

2 Tablespoons sweet orange marmalade

1-1/2 Tablespoons finely grated peeled fresh ginger root

1 teaspoon salt

For topping:

7 crisp oatmeal cookies, broken into pieces (About 1-1/2 cups)

3 Tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

Butter a small baking dish.

Prick potatoes and bake on a foil-lined baking sheet in the middle of the oven until soft, about 90 minutes.

Scoop flesh into a large bowl and mash with butter, sugar, juice, marmalade, ginger and salt.

Spread potato mixture evenly in baking dish.

(Potato mixture may be made a day ahead and chilled, covered. Bring to room temperature before proceeding.)

Making topping:

Grind cookies in a food processor.

Add butter and pulse until mixture resembles soft cookie dough.

Wrap topping in waxed paper and chill about two hours, until firm.

(Topping may be made a day ahead, chilled and covered.)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Crumble topping over potato mixture and bake in middle of oven until topping is brown slightly, about 25 minutes.

— Adapted from November 1994 Gourmet magazine